RKChallenge
by RK.Challenge
Summary: The Live Journal Community meets FFnet. Here are the entries for the monthly themes. Please, enjoy a wide variety of characters and genres and make your votes! Chapter 2 Pairings: Kaoru/Ken and Kao/Batt.
1. Chapter 1

**DISLAIMER: RK belongs to Nabuhiro Watsuki**

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**RK_Challenge:  
**We are a Live Journal Community seeking readers and writers. The entries in this chapter were written for the CURSE prompt of October 1-15. The entries needed to have 500 or less words. The ongoing entries are: BLACK (less than 500 words) and SCARY (more than 500 words).

**PLEASE REVIEW**.

In the reviews we would like you to put them in the order of your preference, for example.

Entry 8 - (this one will gain 3 points)

Entry 5 - (will gain 2 points)

Entry 11- (will gain 1 point)

After the voting is over, the winners are going to be announced in the RK_Challenge in LJ and in chapter 2 of this account. _If you are interested in our community and wish to join, please visit the link in this account's profile._

**Thank you, and enjoy!**

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**ENTRY #1**

**Title: The taste of him**  
**Author: JeniNeji**  
Prompt: Curse  
Genre: Drama, Romance  
Rating: T  
Words: 500  
Warnings: Part I don't know of the serial: The others  
Summary: Kaoru bargained for Misao's life… but was it the right thing?

The young Prithvi watched with horror as she passed by some "patients". Not only were they skinny and presented symptoms of injuries…they also had a very unpleasant odor.

"Where is Misao?" the black-haired Prithvi asked nervously, "you promised to release her," reminded the blue-eyed Prithvi.

"She will be released of the experiments… she will not leave the facilities though," said the amber-eyed Apocatequil.

"That is fine. She could have escaped if she had wanted to. By the way… my name is Kaoru."

"Hn," replied the Apocatequil uneasily, "What did she curse Aoshi with?"

Kaoru smiled, "She didn't," assured the slim female as she walked behind the Apocatequil, "we have no other charm than being female."

"You keep saying that…females this, females that…just be specific, what is a female?" the man asked filled with frustration.

"Well… if you would like to make a deal with me… instead of experimenting with me… I can tell you _things_."

"Like the whereabouts of your King?"

"Why would I? Your experiments wouldn't discover that," she darted back and raised an eyebrow, "I'll tell you about me, about females, about our bodies…transformations and such."

"Hn. Why would I want that information? I could discover it by experimenting with you. More so, experiments don't lie."

"No, but experiments _die_."

"Well, maybe you are right," the man said and stopped suddenly forcing Kaoru to stop as well, "we are here," announced Battousai before slipping an ID card and opening the vertical door.

Kaoru froze in place as she stared as white puffs of cold air escaped the room. Instantly her arms hugged her body heat to herself and her legs stuck together, "It's too cold."

"We need to keep it like this to prevent the spread of weird things," said Battousai dismissively and motioned for her to go in. After some hesitation Kaoru finally walked in and hissed in discomfort. He knew her clothing was not made to stand this cold but he couldn't do much more.

"And if I show you?"

Battousai stopped and turned to the Prithvi, "Show me what?"

Waiting for no more opening, Kaoru launched her body over her born enemy and stole a kiss for the grim expression on his lips. She expertly took advantage of the startled gasp of the Battousai and held him by tangling her hands in his red mane. She could feel the Apocatequil's tense body under her softer one and she prayed he didn't kill her in the spot. After a few moments, where he did nothing but hold her to allow her to kiss him easier, she finally concentrated on the kiss. She softened it, made it slower and daring… until she came to realize something.

Now it was she the one taken advantage off as the Battousai, as legends told, quick-learner dug his own tongue inside her startled mouth. After a minute of meticulously tasting her, he finally let go and was welcomed by teary blue eyes.

"You taste like him… our King it's an… Apocatequil?"

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**ENTRY #2**

**Title:** Magic Trumps Contraception  
**Author: **MissGoalie75  
**Theme:** Curse  
**Rating:** T  
**Words:** 469  
**Summary:** It's a fact.

"I don't know what's worse: the fact that your family has been cursed for the past five hundred years, or the fact that I can't sleep with you because of it," Kaoru huffs, plopping down on Kenshin's bed.

"I guess it's the latter at this point," Kenshin supplies, shuffling a bit, clearly uncomfortable in his clothes.

"You_ guess_? I think Little-Kenshin is saying something else."

He turns red and sits down next to her, his hands folded in his lap.

"It's totally illogical, too. You'd think that since you won't be _spilling your seed_ into me, I'd be fine," she continues, her cheeks still flushed.

"My dad thought that as well twenty years ago. Clearly, magic is a little more powerful than rubber."

"Latex," she corrects him before sighing, letting herself fall backwards onto his bed. Covering her face with her hands, she says, "Clearly your curse is affecting me anyway. It's causing me to become a sex-crazed maniac so I can continue the curse for another generation."

"You're not a maniac."

"But you admit it, I'm sex-crazed."

"Well, if it makes you feel better, I am, too."

Without moving, she says, "Hello, Little-Kenshin. Still in the conversation, I see."

"How do you _know_ that? You're not even looking at me."

"I can sense him calling to me. He says, 'Come to me, Kaoru. I will give you pleasure. And curse the hell out of you. Yes…'"

"Okay, first off, that is creepy as hell. Please stop referring to my…you know…as Little-Kenshin. It's a bit degrading."

"Well, in comparison to your entire body, yes, he's little. Also, I haven't seen him in action without your pants constricting him so I'm in no position to change his name."

"I'm sorry, you know."

She drops her hands to look at him. "It's not your fault. It's your great-great….whatever, grandpa's fault. Blame him. _I_ blame him."

He smiles. "Hopefully Shishio will get that lovely note you wrote and we can strike a deal of sorts."

"If not, you can just beat the shit out of him."

He grins, amber flashing in his normally violet eyes. "He's powerful, you know. He's the same guy who managed to keep this curse alive through generations."

"Yeah, but you're the best magic fighter in a million years."

"Eleven generations," he points out.

"Whatever, same difference. You'll beat him and then your family will be free and we can do the deed."

"_Do the deed_? Can't we call it something else, like 'making love'?"

"Honestly, that sounds so fake. I know you don't mean it like that…but it just does. We'll have sex. Okay? Is that better?"

"Yes, that's perfect."

"Okay, good."

He hovers over her to softly kiss her cheek.

"Oh, be careful. Don't want you to spread any curse-_cooties_ or anything."

"Oh, for fuck's sake!"

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**ENTRY #3**

**Title:**** The Angel on the Devil's Shoulder**  
**Author:**** Sango Shadowphoenix **  
Theme: Curse  
Word count: 215  
Rated PG-13 to be safe.  
Universe: Alternate Bakumatsu Universe.  
Pairing: KK.  
Disclaimer: I don't own _RK & Co._

**Summary:** Battousai expected to be burdened with the victims of his beliefs. He never thought he'd have to put up with a complete stranger.  
[First part in a [short] series that RK Challenge has prompted my fingers to type (title unknown…).]

**A/N:** First time posting here (Please take care of me~). Please do not hesitate to yell at me if I posted format/methods incorrectly.  
I've always wanted to write an RK fic, but figured I do so poorly with Inuyasha fics already that I should just chew on what I have. But I guess that resolve only lasted about 6 years.

Please enjoy~

Battousai wondered what Katsura-sama would think of his most prized assassin, if said assassin were to tell Katsura-sama that he constantly conversed with a ghost.

A very pretty, very young, very _talkative_ ghost.

"I'm really more of a _spirit,_" Kaoru was cheerfully insisting and drilling a hole into Kenshin's ear with her nonsensical chatter. "And I really would prefer if you didn't off someone on sacred grounds," she continued, pointing emphatically at the shrine steps in front of their hiding place.

"Sanctuary means nothing if their name falls into my hands," he ground out, "now be _quiet._"

"You know, _you'll_ be in a better mood if you ambush him on a street instead of on the steps of a temple," she sniffed. "Oh, wait, you're always insufferable. Whatever I did was not worth having to be stuck to _you._"

He ignored her, spying lantern light ascending the steps towards them. Silently, he thumbed the hilt of his sword, and like always, she fell silent as soon as his blade inched out of its sheath.

She didn't say anything until the sword was back in the scabbard and the steps were red.

"Well," she rubbed at her eyes as she hovered over the mess, "at least they don't have to go far to ask for directions."

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**Voting for these entries are NOW CLOSED. WINNERS WILL BE ANNOUNCED IN THE NEXT CHAPTER!**

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_I repeat, the votes for these entries,** OCTOBER-CURSE**, were already processed. You can vote, if you please, but they won't count anymore. Voting is still open for the last chapter in this story. The chapters before the last one are merely a record of sort, so people can read them if they feel like it. Thank you!  
_


	2. OCTOBER1631 THEME: SCARY

Disclaimer: I don't own Rurouni Kenshin or these entries

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xxoOoxx

**Welcome!**

Here are the entries for the October-SCARY- Challenge in our RK_Challenge Community in Live Journal. Due to a lack of participants in the community and our desire to maintain the community running we have agreed to permit FFnet readers to vote for the entries. Thanks for reading!

Please, help our community grow again!

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xxoOoxx

**VOTING RULES:**

You must be logged in for your vote to count.

You must vote using this format:

ENTRY # 2 - Favorite entry (3points)

ENTRY # 8 - (2points)

ENTRY # 1 -(1 point)

THANKS FOR READING! ENJOY!

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**xxoOoxx**

**OCTOBER THEME: SCARY**

**Word limit: More than 500 words**

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xxoOoxx

**ENTRY # 1**

xxoOoxx

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**Title:**** In All Seriousness  
****Author:**** Sango Shadowphoenix**  
Theme: Scary  
Word count: 841  
Rated PG-13 to be safe.  
Universe: Alternate Bakumatsu Universe.  
Pairing: KK.  
Disclaimer: I don't own _RK & Co._

Summary: Battousai learns some truths. Some, he could do without. One will shape his future.  
[Chapter TWO of a [short] series that RK Challenge has prompted my fingers to type (title unknown…). First chapter found here on RKChallenge ]

A/N: I'd really like to stay true to the Kenshin from the manga - I've found that even in his assassin days, he wasn't as cold as his portrayals in our fanfics. (I'd say, the fanfic-Battousai is more Sesshoumaru than Kenshin really was; and on a tangent, Sesshoumaru has no fanfic-portrayal - he's that bad. Hahahaha). But we shall see if it's more fun with the mellowed-out version or the fanfic-Battousai.  
Thanks for the enthusiastic response given to the first chapter~

Please enjoy~

Kenshin smirked at her turned back, leisurely swiping at his neck.

"I still find it amusing that a ghost can be such a prude," he said cheerfully, making more noise than necessary in his movements.

"I told you, I'm a _spirit!_" She snapped back, her shoulders trembling at every sound he made, trying not to think of naked assassins. "And you'd become a prude too if you kept walking through walls and seeing all sorts of inappropriate things!"

"Ah?" Kenshin asked, enjoying one of the few activities where he had the upper hand over Kaoru. "I'm a man - I might enjoy those things you so despise." _Slosh slosh._

Kaoru turned her head to the side, stopping herself in time not to look over her shoulder. "Really…?" she drawled, and Kenshin stilled, eyes narrowing.

Kaoru waved a hand flippantly, "Oh, then I'm sure you'd like to know that Takasugi-san prefers to pick his teeth with his toes," she started, "or that the Innkeeper's wife likes to add a helping of squished chicken eyes to the soup to 'give her boys more nutrients for their important missions', or that –"

"Enough!" Kenshin interrupted, "I get your point."

It was Kaoru's turn to smirk. "_Or_ that your beloved Katsura-sama has a fetish for men's topknots?"

Kenshin threw his wash rag at Kaoru, though it flew right through her image, as he knew it would.

"Hey!" she cried in reflex, "that hurt!"

"Spare me," Kenshin spat. "If you could hurt, I'd have killed you three times over by now. Be thankful you're already dead."

Kaoru fell silent, and Kenshin felt only a little guilty.

After finishing his bath in silence, the two of them went back to Kenshin's room before joining the others for the midnight meal. On the way to the dining hall, Takasugi came out of one of the rooms as Kenshin was passing by, for once clean-shaven and passing for a respectable merchant if he tried.

"Heya, Battousai!" the taller man greeted, flashing a charming smile.

Kenshin forced himself not to glare at Kaoru as he greeted Takasugi, with Kaoru's "See? He's got seaweed stuck in his big toe and his teeth are _clean_" being smugly uttered into his ear at the same time.

"You won't be seeing me for a few days," Takasugi was saying. "I'm off to woo a gal and get some intel."

Kenshin nodded and gave a curt bow. "Take care on your way," he said, proceeding to the dining room as Takasugi went the opposite direction.

In the dining room, Kenshin chose a solitary corner, and hesitated taking up the miso. He narrowed his eyes at Kaoru, who was lounging - upside down - in the rafters.

The girl wiggled her eyebrows at him and grinned.

Scowling, he put the untouched soup back and started into the rice. Only halfway through, Katsura-sama came in, a thick haori over his shoulders to keep warm, and went around the room to check up on his men.

When he reached Kenshin, Kenshin reported his mission status, the conversation between the two falling into silence when he finished.

A short pause later, Katsura-sama cleared his throat. "I see you've left your hair down to dry?"

Kenshin stalled, and a soft snicker came from above him. "Yes sir," he replied.

Katsura-sama smiled good-naturedly. "You look better with it up. All men do." Then he gave Kenshin a pat on the shoulder and left.

"Are you going to say something smart again?" Kenshin muttered moodily after he was alone again. Unexpectedly not getting an answer, he looked up.

The rafters were empty of undead young women.

Battousai nearly jumped, despite his training (which didn't, in his defense, cover things from the other world), when he felt a coolness settle against his back.

"He's the one," Kaoru said, her voice so soft and trembling he had to think about what he heard before he understood her.

He looked at the man who'd just come in. The man, a new recruit Kenshin had not seen before, was tall and broad-chested, clad fully in black except for a wide, indigo ribbon tied as an odd sort of tassel from the hilt of his sword.

There was nothing special about the man, arrogance included.

But the way Kaoru was actually plastered, as much as her ethereal form could, to his back gave made him look the man over closely.

"Who is he?" Kenshin finally asked.

"My God of Death," she said, and he could hear the sound of ghost tears sliding silently down her cheeks.

He'd never heard or seen her like this, what little life she had as a spirit sucked out of her, leaving her impression empty, colder than ice, and yet she was so terrified it made him physically turn around to look at her.

Her eyes were wide and her bottom lip quivered uncontrollably as she tried to make herself even more compact and hide herself behind Kenshin, despite that only the Battousai could see her.

"He's the one who killed me."

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xxoOoxx

**ENTRY # 2**

xxoOoxx

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**Title: Gifted****  
****Author: JeniNeji**  
**Prompt: Scary**  
**Rating: T**  
**Genre: Dark, angst, drama  
Words: 2,225  
A/N: May be a new serial…**  
**Summary: Kaoru lost everything, but now, she got something in return…a son? A brother?**

Tokyo was buried under the heavy rain. The weather had change drastically. She had been living in this place for five years now and she had known the town to get very little of rain through the year. Strangely, this week had been all rain. She hadn't been able to take a glimpse at the sun… even if she had wanted to.

This week marked the first month since her father's death. Since Sir Kamiya, who was about to finish the Kamiya Kasshin style, perished in an _accident_ with a few thugs who wanted to make a living the easy way. Everyone knew the thugs; the reason the police said he had died in an accident was a mystery to her and to everyone else involved.

Well, maybe not a mystery to her anymore. She could smell bribery around. Someone had wanted to take her father out of the picture and she knew why.

She was being _removed_ from her home. Apparently her father still had a debt-which would have been completely paid in the next six months… but inconveniently, or maybe conveniently-he had died. The cause was lost. It was impossible for a woman of barely fifteen to work in the Meiji Era in Tokyo. Unlike her father, who was a man of an open mind, the men didn't think women were capable of much. It didn't matter that she was able to defeat half of them with a _wooden stick_… she was still not good enough.

She needed to leave before next week. It didn't say what would happen to her if she were to stay, oh no, but she dared not risk it. Her father had been here a short time and most people didn't agree with his sword style or the freedom he always granted her. No, they didn't really like her, much less, when she exchanged words with other girls. They accused her of being a witch, a degenerate, and something_ inhuman_. Sometimes she couldn't believe the stupidity of some. She didn't possess inhuman strength, she was merely _trained_. Any girl could do as well, or even better. Furthermore, her eyes were not demonic, they were _blue_. Many people had blue eyes… maybe not around her, but in other places. Huh, sometimes it was a great thing how Japanese culture held on fervently to their culture but it also hindered advance and tolerance.

She was very unlucky.

This was an Era that didn't allow for second chances: you lived or you died. That was the main rule, why one needed to learn to defend oneself. After that, came the second rule. Once you are trained, you could also decide to use that knowledge to fight and kill or to protect.

She chose to protect, as her father had done. Sadly, with her father gone, she had no one to protect her and she had no one to protect. She wouldn't put her hands over the fire for anyone in this town. They didn't deserve it.

So, for the tenth time she sighed. The small puff of air which escaped her lips, condensed by the coldness the rain brought, distracted her. She could see patterns and others nonesense…and she smiled. She really was just a child.

"Somebody there?" a rough, definitely male voice yelled nearby.

Kaoru Kamiya jumped out of her distracted state and clutched her chest nervously. She could swear the man was very near the house, if not in front of the gates.

Her mind raced wildly. Was it the police? Were they going to throw her away before the appointed time?

"Kamiya-san! Are you there?" the voice once again shouted. She debated her options. She could open the gates: after all, that man must be soaking wet, but what if he had ill intentions coming here? After all, everyone knew she was all alone and unprotected now.

"Koshihiro-sama!" this time the voice was a weak roar. Tiredness was clear in the man's voice.

Kaoru couldn't stop her legs. They awoke and made her run to the gate, uncaring of the rain and her health, and she opened the locks of the massive gate in half a second. A strike of lightning exploded in the night making the man in front of her nothing more than a shadow. The little she could see about this guest was his tall silhouette and a huge hat.

"Miss Kamiya?" asked the man, his voice rough and respectful, considering his circumstances.

"Yes, please, come in. This night is anything but welcoming to any being," she said with a soft and sad smile. He had called for her father… apparently the man didn't know about her father's departure to the other world.

"Thank you, young miss," the man breathed in relief before walking past her and into the comfort the spacious wooden house promised.

Kaoru watched the man for only a second and then proceeded to close the gate. She hurried back inside and fussed about the house in search for towels. She handed the man a towel and then excused herself to change her yukata. She went to her father's room and found a dark gi and hakama and doubled them. The guest needed them more than what her father would now…Still, it hurt to give them away. She took a deep breath and returned to the man sitting by the low table. "Here, these are my father's," said Kaoru while she handed the man the clothes.

"Thank you, miss," the older man said with a kind smile. He had dark brown eyes and his hair was tied in a low ponytail. "However, I will need to ask something of you…do you have something we can use for him?"

"Him?"

The man turned slightly and raised a soaking wet cloth from the bundle in his arms. A startled gasp left Kaoru's lips as she was met with wide purple eyes. He continued to remove the cloths until a baby, no more than a month old, with bright red hair appeared.

"It's a baby! Is it all right? Is it sick?" asked Kaoru as she knelt in front of the man and the baby. Her worry was evident in her blue gaze. She was mesmerized by the baby's sharp gaze. He seemed to be memorizing her and she was stunned to see his eyes fade for a second into gold. Tension clutched at her heart when the gossip about her supernatural heritage returned to her full force. Did her eyes do that too?

"No, miss, the baby is fine. He's a strong…odd boy. He never cries," explained the man and handed the baby over when Kaoru asked him to, "please tend to the boy…then we will talk."

"Of course," hurriedly replied Kaoru as she disappeared down the hall. She placed the baby in her futon, which she never really stored, and began to strip the baby. The boy stared at her with curious eyes and thankfully it allowed her to work on him easier. "Hello boy…my name is Kaoru."

The boy moved his big purple eyes from her eyes to her lips. It opened and closed its mouth but no sound came. After the failed attempt he dug his big finger in his mouth.

"The silent type, huh?" asked Kaoru playfully as she dried the baby. A minute later she was dressing him again, this time in huge, dry clothes. "Sorry, but this will have to be enough for now."

Kaoru took the baby and walked back to the main room, all the while making faces and holding out her finger for the baby to grab.

"I need to speak to your father," the man voiced as soon as Kaoru's shape was visible from the hallways, "I have an urgent matter I need to discuss with him."

"Then you will have to discuss it with me. My father passed away but a short time ago," said Kaoru, and strangely instead of feeling sadness a soft penetrating anger replaced it.

"He passed away?" the man asked with disbelief, "Then…what should I do with the child?"

"What about the child?" asked Kagome and fear exploded in her. Was this her brother? Had her father had a lover?

The man sighed and ruffled his beard. "This is Kenshin. He's the only other being roaming the earth with the last name Kamiya besides you. Your mother's side family, The Kamiyas, was massacred three weeks ago, may they rest in peace. This child's father and mother were killed in the event. "As the older man allowed her some moments to digest the news, his eyes held a nervous tightness."I am merely delivering the child to its remaining family. I thought your father was alive, and the child would have had a stable family to live with…but you are so young…" he finally voiced his concern in a hushed tone.

"Why wasn't the child killed?" asked Kaoru with furrowed eyebrows as she eyed the first family member from her mother's side she had ever met. Her mother never liked to speak about her relatives. She had thought it was because she had none...apparently she had been wrong in her assumption. The resemblance between Kenshin and her was practically none. They only had eyes of 'unnatural' color...but he definitely had extravagant hair, unlike her.

"We think the assassin felt_ merciful_," the man said with a shrug of his shoulders. They didn't really know.

"How could they all be killed so quickly?" asked Kaoru, unconsciously hugging the baby closer to her chest protectively. She only realized what she was doing when the baby nuzzled his head against her collarbone and sighed contentedly.

The man smiled at the exchange between the last two Kamiya descendants. "They had some sort of a town… where everyone lived or near. Your mother disagree with some family _rules_…or perhaps she didn't want to marry her betrothed for she had fallen in love with the wandering martial artist who frequented the town…did you know they were only permitted to marry between themselves, right? Everyone in town was a Kamiya. They would marry distant cousins all the time. People from adjacent towns said it was because they professed to have some sort of divinity in their blood…and they wanted to keep it strong."

"My father was the martial artist," added Kaoru to be certain, and the man confirmed her suspicions with a nod.

"Yes, so she was exiled… I don't think she wanted to tell you about these things. She wanted to be as far away from them as she could," explained the man with a shrug of his shoulders. "She was a very beautiful and hard-headed woman."

Kaoru nodded her head in acceptance of the explanation and a soft smile adorned her face,_ like mother like daughter_. Once again she looked down but could only see the baby's red mane. "Poor baby, so he's all alone? I sure if mother was alive…she would take care of him. I don't think she held any grudge. My father always spoke highly of her. I believe she had already forgiven them by the time she passed away."

The man nodded his head slowly, "I am certain of that. Your mother had a pure and kind heart. However, miss, we have to be logical. A young woman such as you would have to face hundreds of trials if you keep the child. This time of war is difficult… I just pray this era of bloodshed and killings ends soon."

Kaoru pursed her lips, "What would happen to him if I don't keep him?"

The man sighed again, "He will be sent to an orphanage."

"No!" refused Kaoru adamantly and turned as to hide the baby from him, "He will not be sent there. Besides, orphanages have an overload of children lately… he will definitely suffer there."

"He will suffer with you too, miss," pointed out the man evenly, but directly.

"Well, at least I will love him as family…isn't that enough?"

The man shook his head and shrugged, he was too tired to argue about the big questions of life, "I am no god to say otherwise. I don't know that answer myself."

"Then I'll keep him," repeated Kaoru with determined blue eyes.

"Whatever you say, miss," the man said and stood. He inserted his hand in his pocket and a second later he handed Kaoru a crumpled paper, "I don't know if this is much… but I found an inn in Kyoto…it needed workers."

Kaoru reached out nervously and grabbed the paper. She looked at the piece with pain and determination. She was being thrown from her own house…maybe this was what destiny had in store for her.

"I should get going, miss Kamiya" the man said with a tired smile and bowed his head.

"Please, stay the night. There is some food…you can make yourself something," she offered with a kind smile.

The man fidgeted momentarily, but nodded his head, "Miss, may I ask you a question?"

"Yes," replied Kaoru, unsure.

"Why won't _you_ make _me _something? Don't you know how to cook?"

Kaoru blushed profusely and her stress was such that the baby boy in her arms stirred in alarm.

"Scary! My my, you two will surely have an exciting life," mocked the man as he walked towards the kitchen, "I'll make something for you too, missy!"

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**xxoOoxx**

**ENTRY # 3**

**xxoOoxx**

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**Title:** Of Heatstrokes and Masters  
**Author:** MissGoalie75  
**Theme:** Scary  
**Rating:** K+  
**Words: **396  
**Summary:** Kenshin realizes that Hiko isn't quite as scary as he believed him to be. Or, you know, maybe not.  
**Comments: **Thanks **jenineji** for the extension - you're awesome!

After three days of living with this rather large man, Shinta, or Kenshin, already wants to run away. Who _is_ this guy? He's completely crazy! It's almost _abuse_! He has to wake up every morning at the crack of dawn, fetch water from the river three times, and then he begins his exercises, which are exhausting enough alone, before being "taught," if it can even be called that – it's too intense.

The man, Hiko, is overwhelming. He's the tallest and broadest man Shinta, _Kenshin_, has ever seen in his short years of living. His voice is thunderous, sometimes making his body quake when he yells.

His presence is threatening.

"Baka deshi! Get your head out of your ass and _focus_!"

Shi-Kenshin whips his head in time to find Hiko about to attack him. Thanks to his quick speed, he manages to step away with only a torn sleeve.

"Huh. Impressive. But that doesn't get you out of your punishment."

_Anything but katas, anything but katas…_, Shi-_Kenshin _thinks to himself desperately.

"I think five-hundred katas will suffice, yes? Please do them quickly. I wish for you to at least be _adequate_ at one technique by the end of the day."

The boy begins, wondering when this is going to end. Perhaps he could sneak away into the night. Yeah, he might not survive for very long, but it has to be better than this.

He's growing weary everyday – he feels like as soon as he closes his eyes at night, Hiko forcibly wakes him up. He wonders if Hiko can somehow control the sun, which is impossible…he thinks.

Maybe if he just closes his eyes for a second, he can be a little refreshed, yes that sounds good…

He opens his eyes to find himself lying on his back inside Hiko's cabin, a cold compress on his forehead.

What _happened_?

"Next time you feel like you're going to pass out, say something," Hiko says in his usual gruff tone.

But Kenshin begins to realize that this is the closest he's going to get to an apology.

"Sometimes I forget you weren't gifted with my physical attributes."

Kenshin sighs, recognizing that Hiko isn't very scary; he's just really conceited, which can be alarming in itself.

"Don't think this means I'll be going easy on you," Hiko adds sharply, making Kenshin cower a little.

Okay, he's just scary. Period.

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xxoOoxx

**ENTRIES FOR OCTOBER CLOSED**

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Please, remember to vote for your favorite entry!

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xxoOoxx

**September WINNERS: CONGRATULATIONS!**

First Place

The Angel on the Devil's Shoulder by lin-yun

Second Place

Magic Trumps Contraception by MissGoalie75  
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**Third Place

The taste of him by JeniNeji


	3. OCTOBER2010 THEME: BLACK

Disclaimer: I don't own these entries

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xxoOoxx

Welcome to a new chapter of RK_Challenge Community in LJ. Here are the entries for the Theme: **BLACK **for **OCTOBER 2010.** The only requirement for the entry was to have 500 words or less. Thanks for reading and ENJOY!

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**PLEASE, make your vote. **This time, since there are only two entries there is going to be just **ONE** winner. Please, select your favorite entry!

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**ENTRY #1**

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**Title:** City Girls Don't Do Small Towns  
**Author:** MissGoalie75  
**Theme:** Black  
**Rating:** T  
**Words: **500  
**Summary:** A city girl is forcibly plopped into suburbia.  
**Comments:** This scene is the start of a multi-chapter story I've been thinking about for a while. I doubt I'll actually write it, but you never know.

Kaoru Kamiya is not appropriately dressed for this middle-of-nowhere, _public _school. She shouldn't be wearing tons of jewelry and pounds of makeup; she certainly shouldn't be wearing knee-high boots with a five-inch heel and she most _definitely_ shouldn't be wearing a dress that barely falls mid-thigh.

She looks like she would fit into a hole-in-the-wall nightclub in the city, about to step on stage and sing in a glam-grunge band, _not_ a Calculus class.

She doesn't pay attention to the whispers around her; she wonders if it's just because her clothes stand out: expensive, too black, glamorous, or if it's because they know why she's here.

Not that these hicks know why she's _really_ here, but they have a vague idea. No doubt her mother bitched enough about her coming to live with her.

She grabs a seat in the back and crosses her legs and slouches in her chair, somehow managing to look classy. When her Calculus teacher enters the classroom and notices Kaoru, her lips purse into a thin white line.

_Someone needs lip enhancement, big time._

"Kaoru Kamiya?"

Kaoru looks up, not bothering to be respectful.

"I don't know how things are done in the _big city_, but _here_ we have a dress code."

Kaoru rolls her eyes. "I thought the whole _perk_ of public school was _not having_ a dress code."

"We have certain rules of _propriety_."

Kaoru glares at the woman. Call her a bitch, call her _anything_, but _don't_ insinuate her being a slut.

"If you're telling _me_ that I'm not dressed _appropriately_, then why don't you tell off Miss_ Tits_ next to me."

The girl in question, wearing a low cut top, huffs in indignation.

"Do you really want to start your first day in the principal's office?"

"It's a lot nicer than this classroom," Kaoru says nonchalantly, standing up and heading towards the door.

When she hears that unmistakable sound of someone trying to keep his laughter at bay, she whips her head around to see a boy with bright red hair in the back row, his amber eyes alight with humor, a smirk on his face.

At least _someone_ is aware that they're sitting in old-fashioned table-desks with pealing wallpaper. Oh, and that their teacher is a _bitch_.

"Kenshin, would you like to join her?"

"Nope."

She rolls her eyes as she exits the classroom; that whole "bad boy" thing is such a cliché.

Especially after keeping company with_ real _bad boys.

She struts down the empty halls feeling like this is a really bad fucking nightmare. But she can't go back to the city, no matter how much she wants to. Not after what happened.

The main office is empty, save for her elderly principal and a rather attractive secretary; they're clearly flirting.

She internally grins as she adjusts her little black dress, making sure she looks perfect (not that she never does). There's no way she's going to be changing her outfit today, or _any day_ for that matter.

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**ENTRY #2**

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**Title: Seeping into darkness  
Author: JeniNeji**  
Prompt: Black  
Rating: T  
Words: 218  
A/N: Follows the prompt for SCARY.  
Summary: Kaoru and Kenshin go to Kyoto.

Kaoru's feet finally touched _terra firme_. It was horrible! Why she decided to go to Kyoto by sea was beyond her. How could someone forget…seasickness wasn't easily forgotten…

The young Kamiya shuffled the bundle in her arms and wide violet eyes turned up to her in question. She merely smiled at the young boy under her care and after rearranging the pack in her back moved down the road to Kyoto. She hoped the inn the old man had told her about was still hiring employees, if not, she was doomed.

Her fate and future depended in this dark town, the town where black putrid blood hid between the cracks in every corner of the city and where the assassins drank the nectar of villager's effort. She would be lying if she said she wasn't scared. No, she was at the breaking point, but this small life tucked safely against her chest gave her strength. It told her she was not alone in the world. It reassured her that in these difficult times there was still hope, kindness and the will to survive.

She was the very living example.

So, like every single time she felt she needed reassurance, she lowered her lips and kissed the nose of the red-haired infant in her arms, "I love you Kenshin."

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**xxoOoxx**

**PLEASE, make your vote. **This time, since there are only two entries there is going to be just **ONE** winner. Please, select your favorite entry!

**xxoOoxx  
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**You can find the links to our community in my profile :) **

**You can see a preview of November entries**.


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